Facts about Being a Kidney Donor Match

An essential part of kidney transplant is donated by a living donor. The living donor can be a family member, including a parent, child or siblings. However, any other person who is related to the patient can also be a donor. Here are some ways to find the most suitable match for a kidney transplant:

Blood group - The blood group types are A, B, O, and AB. Blood group O is a universal donor and can donate a kidney to any person on the list.

• If the recipient is of blood type O, then he /she can receive the organ from type O person. 
• Type A recipients can receive a kidney from type O and type A donor. 
• Type B recipients can receive it from type O and type B.
• Lastly, if the recipient belongs to blood type AB, the donor can be blood type AB or O.

HLA matching - Human leukocyte antigens or HLAs are the sets of proteins attached to the immune system that identifies each person as a distinct individual. If the immune system detects any foreign cells, the immune system starts reacting, which is manifested as immune-rejection symptoms. Therefore, it is important to match at least some of this HLA to reduce the immune-rejection by recipient body.

Medical history of donor - It is vital to know about the previously formed antibodies throughout the blood. To know about these antibodies, HLA typing laboratory tests are done. These antibodies might attack the donor’s organ and generate immune-rejection symptoms. These pre-formed antibodies can come from previous transplants, blood transfusions or pregnancies.

Crossmatch - Crossmatch test is done to check if the blood cells of the recipient and the donor would react with each other. The immune cells are grown with the donor’s cells to see if they attack the donor cells. If the recipient cells are attacked, the transplant may not be successful. This test is important to do, in order to avoid immediate rejection of kidney transplant.

Once all these tests are done, the team of doctors makes a comparison of positive and negative impacts and decide if the transplant has to be carried out. If the transplant is done, the doctors will explain the risks and complications associated before performing the surgery.

New innovation - To minimize the complications associated with immune-rejection, new ways have come up in which the immune cells are transplanted from the donor to the recipient. More and more innovations are coming up because life expectancy and efficiency are much better after a kidney transplant than having dialysis.

Surgery for Kidney Donation

Pre-surgical investigations 

The kidney removal surgery from the donor is preceded by a few lab investigations which include,

• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Colonoscopy
• Screening for cancer
• Antibody test
• Pap smear
• X-ray
• CT scan
• ECG 

After conducting all the tests, if the antibodies and blood type are matched to the recipient, then the donor is approved for kidney donation.

Surgery 

In most of the cases, the doctors try to follow the laparoscopic approach. It is a technique in which very small incisions are made on the body and a thin tube is inserted. The surgeon makes an incision on the stomach and removes the kidney. The length of the incision is just as much as the size of the kidney. 

The entire surgery is for 2-3 hours. After the surgery, the donor has to stay for 1-3 days in the hospital to recover well. Overall, the recovery period is much lesser if the laparoscopic technique is used. The kidney transplant cost in India is much more affordable.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Living Donation

Advantages 

It has been seen that patients who receive living donor kidney lives longer and healthier life as compared to those who received a deceased donor kidney. 

Risks

The risks may include pain, fatigue, hernia, blood clots, pneumonia, neural injury, disturbance in bowel movements.

Who can be a Living Kidney Donor?

The most vital condition, you must be 18 years old or older. The kidney function has to be normal. The following condition must not be present if one has to be the donor:

• Hypertension
• Diabetes 
• Cancer
• HIV
• Hepatitis
• Acute infections
• Other serious health conditions